Process for manufacturing homogeneous glasslike condensation products of urea and formaldehyde



Patented Apr. 19, 19 27. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

xun'r RIPPEB, or VIENNA, AUSTRIA, ASSIGNOR TO rnrrz POLLAK, or vmmm,

AUSTRIA.

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HOMOGENEOUS GLASSLIKE CONDENSATION PROD- 'UC'IS OF UREA AND FORMALDEHYDE.

K Drawing. Application filed September 9, 1922. Serial No. 587,222, and in Austria May 81, 1921.

The invention relates to the manufacture to stand at ordinary room temperature the of condensation products obtained by the final state of hardness and insolubility is reaction of formaldehyde on a urea. reached within a shorter or longer period The condensation products initially of time according to the nature of. the 55 yielded by the reaction between these subaccelerating agent. lVater, separating durstances arc. solublein water, but when treated ing this hardening, has to be removed. by heat, are gelatinized after a period of If a thick moulded article is hardened in :ime into intermediate products considerthe cold by means of a quick-acting accelerably less soluble in water, and finally into ating agent, clouding and cracks may easily e0 products wholly insoluble therein. occur. This is due to the fact that the Water Now I have found that the gelatinization still present in the material. clouds the latter of the initial condensation products soluble owing to the quick hardening, the said water in water maybe accelerated by i? addition producing cracks when escaping from the of water soluble non alkaline uompounds article lying in contact with the air, It is 05 having a'high degree of electroiytic dissocitherefore advisable to build up the moulded ation. Such salts accelerating the gelatiniza objectin a plurality of layers, allowing one tion may be divided into two groups, the one layer or coating to be dried in the air before of which has the property of converting the the next is put on, for the purpose of elimiinitial condensation products soluble in nating the water contained therein. '30 water into a fully hard and insoluble state As example of desirable proportions of within a few hours, while the majority of the ingredients the following may be menaccelerating salts does not produce the said tioned: result, but only gelatinize the material much 60 parts by weight of urea, 150 parts by quicker than gelatinization would take place Weight of 40% solution of formaldehyde is without an addition of salts. by volume) and 6 parts by weight of To the salts causing the material to harden hexamethylenetetramine are heated under to the full extent when working in the cold, refluX in a water bath until test samples do belong especially ammonium salts, both of not become cloudy when cooling down. strong and of weak acids. A very quick Gelatinization sets in after a short time, it so 3" acting reaction accelerator is for instance one part of potassium sulphate (or potasammonium sulphocyanate, but other amsium nitrate or potassium chloride or po monium salts such as ammonium sulphate, tassium chlorate or potassium iodide or poammonium chloride and the like may be used tassium sulphocyanate etc.) is added to 100 for the same purpose, The physical and parts of the condensation product thus ob- 85 chemical properties as well as the appeartained. The gelatinous mass being allowed ance of the hard and insoluble products to stand in the cold, water begins to sep-' obtained thereby, vary to a certain extent arate therefrom. The material may now be according to the nature'of the salts resorted hardened by letting it stand in the cold, care to. When produced in the form of thin being taken, that the water is eliminated. on 40 films (to allow the water present therein to This method is particularly suitable for evaporate easily) these products are as clear obtaining products of striking beauty and as glass and entirely transparent. transparency. e

To the second class mentioned above be- The material obtained is well suited for long especially the salts of strong acids, for being worked mechanically in any manner 95 I instance of inorganic acids, such as sulphates, (on the lathe, sawed, bored, filed, polished chlorates, chlorides, nitrates and the like. or stamped),

With the exception of ammonium salts their '1 wish it to be understood that I do not action and its variations is exclusively due desire to be limited to the exact details to the anion. described, for obvious modifications will ocroe B allowing the mixture of the initial our to a person skilled in the art.

con ensation product and of the added salt The expression strong acids as employed in the appended claims, is intended to refer to the acids from which the salts above referred to are derived, such as sulphuric acid, hydrcu-hloric acid, snlphocyanic acid (also frequently called thiocyauic acid), chloric acid, nitric acid and the like.

I claim:

1. The process for mamiiacluriug homo gcneous glasslike masses by condensation of formaldehyde with a urea which consists in accelerating the gelatinization ot' the water soluble initial condensation by the addition of water soluble non alkaline con1- pounds having a high degree of electrolytrc dissociation, the amount of these compounds being much smaller than that ofthe initial condensation product to be treated.

2. The process for manufacturing homogeneous glasslike masses by the condensation of formaldehyde with a urea which con.- sists in accelerating the gclatinization of the water soluble initial condensation products by the addition of a much smaller amount of Water soluble salts of strong acids.

3. The rocess for manufacturing homogencous g asslike products by condensation of formaldehyde with a urea which consists in accelerating the gelatinization of the enter soluble initial condensation products by the addition of a much smaller amount. of Water soluble salts of strong inorganic acids. l

4. The process for manul'aclnring homogeneous glasslike masses by condensal ion of t'ormaldel'iyde with a urea which cons'sts in accelerating the g'clatinization of the water soluble initial condensation products by the addition of a much smaller amount of iratcr soluble non alkaline compounds baring a high degree of electrolytic dissociation and allowing the material to stand at ordinary temperature to reach the final siateol' hardness and insolubility.

F. The process for manufacturing homogeneous Q'ltiSSllltO. masses by condensation ol. fornlaldehyde with a urea which consists in accelerating the gclatinization of the water soluble initial coiulcnsation products by the addition of a much smaller amount of Water soluble non alkaline compounds having a high degree of electrolytic dissociation and allowing the ineterial to stand at ordinary temperature to reach the final state of hard ness and insolubility, While eliminating the Water.

In testimony signature.

1 KURT RIPPER.

whereof I have affixed my 

